The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-10
BRAZILIAN SLAVERY.
The Number OF Bondsmen Greatly Re
duced-GraduaI Abolition.

Rio JANEIRo. Nav I'm 1871, when
the Emancipation law, persistently
urged TO a conclusion by the Brazilian
Premier, the Visconde de Rio Branco,
was passed, the whole number of slaves
in the Empire of Brazil was estimated
at about 1 500, 900. Some statisticians,
however, placed the number at 2,OO0,
600.
In 1886 the revised law of emancipa-
ton called for a new and more thorough
general registry of all the slaves through
out the Empire. 1t made that registry
obligatory. the penalty for non-registry
being freedom for the slave, immediate
and without conditions. whatever might
be the motive assigned on the part of
the masters. The law also gave
unconditional freedom to all slaves who
had reached or who should afterward
reach the age of sixty years. The num-
Der of slaves was then variously esti-
mated at from l 200, 900 to ,2OO, 900 or
over 3O0.OOO.
When, however. i'm the early part of
April and during the month of May of
the current year the results of the recent
registry began to he made known it was
seen that large numbers of slaves IN
every province of the Empire had not
been enrolled by the masters. who thus
consented voluntarily To the freedom of
their slaves by refraining from register
ing them.
At the present time it is believed that
the number of slaves in the whole En-
pire will not exceed five hundred thou
sand. In some municipalities the slaves
have been emancipated almost ca Htdsse
by this deliberate system of non-registry.
For example, in certain districts of Rio
Grande do Sui, containing upward of
thirty Thousand slaves. no more than
eight thousand We're matriculated.
The Brazilian Chambers meet early in
May of each year, and this year, before
they had organized their body by the
election of presiding officers on the 4th
of NAV, Deputy Alfonso Celso, Jr., son
of the liberal leader and former premier,
Alfonso Celso. Senator of the Empire and
one of the most influential and powerful
men in the whole country, presented the
following project of "A law:
The General Assembly of the Empire
of Brazil, in general assembly convened,
hereby resolves:
ARTICLE All slaves registered
throughout the whole of the Empire of
Brazil are declared to be free from the
date of the PRONUNCIATION of the present
law.
Those who are freed from bondage in
virtue of this law are obliged to labor for
the space of two years in the service OF
their former masters. but this service
shall be non-transferrable from any
cause whatever.
From this obligation shall be expected
the following. Those who shall re-
deem themselves from service by pay
ment of such service in money. In this
case the value of such service for the full
term of two years, shall i'll no case be
valued at more than $500. For the pur-
pose of making this valuation. the
clauses in the recent law 0SS6), and IN
that of November 13, 1872. shall be con-
tinued in full force. ,. Those who have
reached fifty years of age; and also
those who shall hereafte reach that age,
within the specified time of two years,
shall be declared ipsO fdctO free, and
shall at once enter into the enjoyment of
their freedom. The age of the slave, for
this purpose, shall be determined by the
registry: proof to the country shall only
be admitted when the proof shall be in
favor of the liberty of the slave.
When either one of married couple
shall have acquired his or her freedom
from rendering obligatory service,
through whatever cause. the other shall
likewise be freed at once and without
any conditions whatever.
Freedmen, during the two years which
they are Obliged to render service under
the present law, shall be paid Just wages
or salary, have full right To suitable
clothing and proper food and to neces-
sary medical treatment and care should
they become ill or incapacitated.
All ex-masters who shall not faithfully
carry out the obligations and duties inn
posed by the preceding paragraph shall
lose all claim or right whatever to- the
services of their former slaves, now be
come freedmen.
All taxes and revenues destined for the
fund of emancipation by proceeding laws
and regulations shall he employed for the
use of establishments of practical pro-
fessional education designed for the chill
dren for freedIhen and for the endOw-
ment of asylums for freedmen who may
hereafter become incapaciated for work
by disease or by accident.
ART. 2.-All laws, regulations and
parts of laws contrary to the provisions
of the present law are hereby revoked.